Woven or knitted fabric mainly consisting of cellulosic fibers and method of manufacturing same



Patented Mar. 3,.1936

woven on m'r'ran ramuc AmL'Y c'oN- srs'rnvc or CELLULOSIC mans AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME Richard Lant, Vienna, Austria NoDrawing. Application August 24, 1933, Serial No. 686,654. In Austria September 6, 1932 5Claims.

According to British Patent No. 343,104 it has been proposed to treat or esterify woven or. knitted fabrics with higher fatty acid chlorides in presence of pyridine.

Now it has been observed that if woven or knit fabrics mainly consisting of cellulose containing fibers are provided on at least one side with a uniform dense downy ccatingcon'sisting of cellulose fibers'projecting from the fabric and proia duced for instance by teazling, cardingor grinding and by. subsequent shearing, if so desired, for more or less shortening the fibers, and if then the fabric is esterified in a manner substantially known per se with higher fatty acids, a product 13 is obtained which shows a surprising deer skin like touch on the side or sides provided with the 1 unknown may be imparted by the aforesaidester-l ification, the touch being that of a firm leather if the downy coating produced by teazling, card- 30 ing or grinding has been cut down to a great extent by shearing, whereas without such shearing the touch is that of a softer leather.

Fabrics prepared as above described are very suitable for the manufacture of various articles 35 such as gloves, bags, hats and the like. The following is an example of a preferred operation of the process according to this invention. Knitted cotton fabric such as glovers cloth, is provided with a layer (down or fuzz) of single fibers projecting'from the cloth. This is done for instance by raising or carding and eventually warping the fabric on at least one side. Alternately already roughened knitted, cotton fabric ,can be used as available on the market. In either case 4 kg. stearine acid chloride dissolved in 40 kg. of pure pyridine are caused to act upon 10 kg. of such fabric which is provided with alayer of single fibers on at least one side as above described, the fabric beingpractically absolutely dry. The reaction is effected in a closed receptacle so that air and moisture are excluded, at a temperature of 95 to l C. for about half an hour. By carefullymoving the fabric to and fro in the reagent, as much as is, possible of an even 55 and thorough impregnation of the cotton knitting with the solution of the stearine acid-chloride is eifect'ed. After termination of the reaction the fabric is carefully neutralized, cleaned if necessary with the aid of chemical means and thoroughly washed.

When treated according to the above men'- tioned conditions of reaction the, fabric acquires an additional weight caused by the esterification amounting to from 20 to 525% of the original weight of the dry fabric. By changing the time or the temperature of reaction and especially by changing the quantity of acid chloride. the ex tent of the esteriflcation can be changed, i. e. the increase of weight of the fabric obtained by esteriflcation. Eor the purposes of this invention various degrees of esteriflcation are suitable, which may be defined by the amount of increase of weight of the dry fabric to be treated, which lies within the range of from 5% to 30%. Below this stated lower limit of esterificatlon the dei sired feel of the firstly fiufiy side or sidw, resembling more or less smooth buckskin is not obtained to the extent which is desirable for practical purposes. The feel improves gradually with the increase in the degree of esterification, e. g'. 8% giving a better feel than 5%. An esterification surpassing the higher limit above indicated will not further improve the feel and may pos sibly impair the strength of the fabric.

The most advantageous limits of esterification can be defined by an increase in weight of the dry starting material of 15 to 25%. If it is de-' sired to obtain finally a product of white colour,

then the cloth obtained as above described can be bleached, while if coloured products are to be obtained, the fabric can'be dyed before the esteriflcation with substantive dyestuffs. If it r seems advisable in view of some reason or the other, the order of treating can be changed, but Kit is intended to dye after the-esterification 4 has. taken place, then other dyestufis must be used e. g. those which are suitable for dyeing artificial acetate silk.

Woven or knitted fabrics are preferred as starting material as above described. In some 4 cases eventually also other manufactured coherent structures formed from or containing mainly cellulosic; material can be used, such for example as coherent felted structures.

The esterification can be effected in any 'suit- (down) on at least one side of a woven or knit- 66 ted fabric consisting of or containing in the main part cellulosic fibers and secondly esterification of the fabric with higher fatty acids in. a manner known per so. This process results in a new improved industrial product, namely a web or e. g. gloves, bags, hats and the like are also included in this invention and claimed herewith.

What I claim is: l. The process which consists in providing a woven or knitted fabric containing essentially I cellulosic fibers on at least one side with a down of cellulosic fibers projecting from the fabric and causing higher fatty acid chlorides dissolved in pyridine to act upon the dry fabric together with the down of cellulosic fibers until an increase in weight caused by esterification of 5 to 30% of the dry fabric is obtained.

2. The process which consists in providing a woven or knitted fabric containing essentially cellulosic fibers on at least one side with a down of cellulosic fibers projecting from the fabric and causing stearlne acid chloride dissolved in pyridine to act upon the fabric together with the aosaooa' down of cellulose fibe'rs'until an increase in Weig t caused by esterlflcation of 5 to 30% of the dry'fabric is obtained.

' 3;1heprocess which consists in. providing" a woven or knitted fabric containing essentially cellulosic fibers on at least one side with a down of cellulosic fibers projecting from the fabric and causing stearine acid chloride dissolved in pyridine to act upon the dry fabric together with the down of cellulosic fibers until an increase in weight caused by esterification' of to 25% of the dry fabric is obtained.

4. As a new article of manufacture a woven or knitted fabric containing essentially cellulosic fibers and having on at least one side a down. of cellulosic fibers projecting from the fabric, said cellulosic fibers of the fabric and down being.

partially esterified with higher fatty acids from 5 to 30% by weight of the original fabric, the fabric having a smooth feel resembling the fee of buckskin and being water repellent.

5. As a new article of manufacture a woven or knitted fabric containing essentially cellulosic fibers and having on at least one side a down of cellulosic fibers projecting from the fabric, said cellulosic fibers of the fabric and down being partially esterified with higher fatty acids from 15 to 25% by weight of the original fabric, the

fabric having a smooth feel resembling the feel of buckskin and being water repellent.

RICHARD LAN'IQ. 

